A US court has determined that the practical shuttering of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was first created in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
